Ashes - When the world lost its colours
by luisa.vang
Summary: May 2018 - After two enormous eruptions in the north and south of Europe, the world is not the same. The sky turned from blue over red to grey and black - and the air is full of ash. There is just one way to survive - escape the chaos and reach the shores of Portugal. Lukas Kjetil, a 20 year old student of the university in Bergen, tries to keep his brother and himself alive.
1. Prologue

Ashes  
or how the world lost its colours

Prologue:

The nature had always targeted humanity, no matter in which form. This thematic could be found in every single religion, in nearly every myth. No matter if it was in the form of a gigantic lion as in Hercules or a sea monster as in the myths of the sailors or in form of a storm, an earthquake or anything else. During humanity's history one of the most extreme forms was any kind of catastrophe but especially the threat of a volcanic eruption. Back in ancient times when the Vesuv next to Pompeji erupted, nobody was aware of the consequences such an eruption could inflict. The fire, the lava, the dust, the explosions were terrible enough and brought chaos and death to the people of this rich roman city.

Now, in 2017, we know a lot more about nature. We have done hundreds of researches on the fields of geography, geology, biology, chemistry, physics, medicine and so on and so on. We know how to detect an earthquake before it hits us, we know how to calculate the height of the gigantic waves of a tsunami, we can measure the heat of volcanos, we can predict the weather and how the climatic change can influence the mean sea level. But still, we can't stop anything from happening. And we are still human, we are imperfect and our calculations are more often wrong then they are right.

Now, in 2017, we have found out that there is more than just one super volcano in Europe. We have found out that the Phlegraean Fields are a lot more active than they should be. Much more active than they should be – but surely nothing to worry about. As researchers, we must be quiet to not worry the public to much. The public is fragile and tends to panic at even small volcanic eruptions like back in 2010 when the Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland burst. Let me get this straight – todays situation is much more serious. Especially since we found 'the sleeping bear' in Norway's Kjᴓlen, up in the north. The sleeping bear was quiet until now, it didn't seem like it would erupt anytime soon. And though the temperature and activity of the Phlegraean Fields became a lot more intense, we only changed our predicted date for the eruption from a thousand to a hundred years. The biggest fault of ours was to think that it would be safe to say that no one must be afraid. The biggest fault was to not calculate the risk and to think we would have another hundred years we would surely be able to prevent an eruption. We can't fight nature. We can't fight volcanos, we can't fight the earth, we can't fight the sea. I know now that we have not much time left. Maybe two years but more likely one. One year. If we start now, in December 2017, we may be able to save the people in the surrounding areas and can evacuate.

One year.  
One year that turned out to be only 5 months.  
The first eruption shook the south of Europe on the 8th of May 2018,  
Today is the 11th and the sleeping bear is waking up.


	2. Grey sky

Lukas Kjetil Bondevik was on an excursion with his fellow students – he studied marine biology at the university of Trondheim in the sixth semester.

In his twenty-one years of lifetime he hadn't seen that much of the world since he had to keep an eye on his brother. His parents had divorced when he was five years old and little Emil who wasn't little anymore had been the child of his mother and his stepfather. Unfortunally the both weren't as found of the rebellious child and when Neils died and his mother stood alone once more, she had urged Lukas to take his brother with him up to the north. Most times he was glad about his company, being a rather quiet guy that wouldn't turn up on parties if he didn't know anyone there but today, on the 11th of May, Lukas wasn't.

He knew he should concentrate on the different shells they had found in the Trondheimfjord, he knew he should focus but, how could he? How could anyone after what happened in Italy, after so many people died or were caught in the chaos that still raged after three days? Not that the Norwegian was that emotional but still, still, how could he not think about it when Emil had friends down there, Felix and Leonardo? His blue eyes were fixed on the old, dull shell that didn't tell much about the animal which had once lived inside of it. Although he studied for three years by now, he had never understood what was so fascinating about those shells, these old, old fossils. But well, they were important for his studies after all so…?  
Slowly he turned the shell in his hands until he heard a high-pitched voice not far from him. For a short moment, he knitted his blonde eyebrows – Tove had always been a bit of a chicken, maybe she had just seen a spider – but then he could also feel the light shaking of the ground. Lukas' gaze fell onto his feet before he grabbed one of the thicker branches of the tree next to him. The tremor became a whole lot stronger and a presentiment settled into his thoughts, clenched around his heart and when it finally subsided, he raised his head.

Everyone around him was staring at the sky – which had been the brightest of blue only a moment ago – and for a second he was sure that he was dreaming. But Lukas had never been a dreamer and this was too real to be a dream. Everyone seemed breathless, everyone seemed incredulous, shocked about what was happening up there. The black smoke could be seen from afar, it shot up into the air in form of a pillar and within seconds the group of students decided to panic. Lukas, who was one of the eldest, had tried to calm everyone although his heart raced in his breast and his breathing had grown rapid. They were still in a fjord, in a danger zone if they didn't take care of themselves – they had to stay calm but then again, how could day? The volcano was far away, they couldn't even see the lava but unlike the people in Italy, the Norwegian adolescents knew that this could only mean one thing.

The sleeping bear had awakened – and its roar filled the air with ashes.

He wasn't even sure how they had make it out of these cliffs and into the town, he didn't know how he had managed to come home – his mind was blank and the only thoughts he was able to produce were focused on Emil. In no way he would have been able to calm down if Emil hadn't been home already – sitting on their old couch with wide eyes.  
The Bondevik brothers were an odd pair, silent, quiet, cold and more often calm than not – to show emotions wasn't as normal. At least not for Lukas who seemed even more shocked at the tears that rolled down his brothers face than he had been in the face of the catastrophe.  
Emil was crying for the second time in one week – but this time it was out of fear and not of worry. Lukas also felt like crying at this sight but he wasn't allowed to. He wasn't allowed to panic, he had to keep calm, he had to focus, focus on the TV and the breaking news that repeated itself again and again. Focus on Emil and how he could make those tears stop.  
It wasn't that easy, especially since his youngster didn't seem to take notice from him at all – he sat there like a statue, his silver hair hung into his fine-featured face with those deep, blue eyes. Was he even breathing? Of course he was, he was even producing small hiccups and then, when his teary gaze finally caught the sight of his brother, the boy jumped onto his feet.  
Emil was about to turn away – exactly like he did yesterday and the day before – but this time, Lukas was faster.  
Strict, but not without being careful, he reached out and took a hold of Emil's frail wrist.  
"Em.", he said quietly and placed one of his other hand onto his shoulder. As if he had been waiting for that move, that touch, Emil cradled himself against the taller ones' chest.  
His face felt warm against his elder's neck and Lukas asked himself how he could make him feel better? The voice of the newsreader rung in his ear, hasty, worried, scared:

'The second outburst of a super volcano during one month – researchers say that they hadn't foreseen this event – Tromso and Kirkens have been evacuated – The government is ordering everyone to stay collected – the eruption of the Phlegraean fields have subsided - the sky over Italy is still grey – The rain is black and filled with ashes.'

Emil's crying was quiet and yet it replaced all these information that fell onto his shaken heart. Lukas placed his head onto the crown of his brother's hair and patted his back. Why were words so difficult, why was it so hard to find them, to use them? Why was it so hard to tell him that it would be okay? No one knew what would happen now – humanity hadn't witness anything like that before? How would the weather change? Were the scientists saying the truth when they said that there was no need to worry that much?

But right now, it wasn't important what was true and what was a lie – what mattered was in front of him and he knew that, if they were together, they would make it through. They had make it through so many things since moving out – of course none of that was comparable through any type of natural catastrophe and yet – Lukas would never give up on him.  
"Hey, Em.", he tried again and led him back to the couch, reached for the remote control and finally cut this panicked voice of. "It'll be alright.", his voice sounded steadier than he felt, softer and warmer than it usually was. The half Icelandic student didn't look up but he had grown quiet and his tears had finally stopped. "It'll be alright.", Emil's tear stroked voice repeated as he finally let go of his older brother. "Can you promise that we will be alright?"

"I will."


End file.
